Kore o kudasai
by Gigi the Ragdoll
Summary: Shinichi remains trapped in the body of 6 year old Conan. What is a poor boy like Conan to do when Shinichi is called upon to come to the aid of the one he loves? Contains blood, violence, mystery, and more then its share of fluff… PLEASE R
1. Prologue

Konnichiwa

Konnichiwa

And welcome to my first official fan-fiction. Please understand that I in no way own or hold rights to any of the characters used in this story. I am also a little worried about having my work torn apart by some of the veteran geniuses on the sight so please be kind

In addition please understand that I am dyslexic an am prone to misspell things quite frequently. I've done my best with the spell cheek, but if you catch a lot of inconsistencies feel free to contact me and let me know in a somewhat kind manner

Please enjoy and let me know what you think

Misk

…o0:Prologue:0o…

In the semi darkness of the warehouse facility a piercing scream cut through the otherwise perfect silence, a cry of fear, pain and despair the ended almost as quickly as it began. Shinichi Kodo froze in his tracks, feeling a dark chill of foreboding run down his spine and settle deep in his chest. "Ran?" gasped out spinning sharply on his heals. He listened intently but could hear only the empty hollow sound of his own voice returning to him from the unseen roof and metal beams above. "Ran!" he repeated, his voice echoing through the barren hall of wooden crates and packaging that seemed to continually close in on him, suffocating him in a sense of abandonment and claustrophobia.

Fear giving way to panic as he began sprinting though the deserted labyrinth. Footsteps, a panting breath, another scream that seemed to rip though his soul, then silence. Breaking out in a run, Shinichi bolted over crates and spun around corners. "Ran...Ran where are you…"

The light above him began to flicker as the sound a passing freight train rattled the crates around him. Panting he continued, stumbling into the walls of crates and support beams…an echoing laughter joined in the din, overpowering the sounds and rotting smells that bombarded his senses. He called out again, his own voice seemingly lost in the chaos. His sense of claustrophobia grew grater as lights became more uncontrollable. the laughter erupted into a series of voices, screaming, yelling, begging, and crying all of witch did little more then support the initial voice…covering his ears with his hands he pushed on his voice lacking the ability to reach even his own ears.

And in a heartbeat it was all over…the sound, the stench, the lights, all of it gone in the wake of the image that was now laid out before him.

There, in a pool of light and blood lay a frail and broken figure of a woman, her long brown hair draped almost whimsically over her face and shoulders. Her close were torn and stained, the rags heaving up and down in time with her uneven breath.

For a long moment he stood as if suspended in a timeless vacuum, his breath catching in his throat. Silence pressed in on him as an eternity of numb disbelief finally gave way to motion. Slowly he forced himself forward to her side. "R…Ran…" he croaked, his mouth dry as he kneel down by her side. Slowly, gently, he lifted the figure in his arms, cradling her head, resting her against him as he lightly brushed away the strands of hair that stuck to her face with sweat and blood. "Ran" he repeated, his throat tightening as he watched her struggle for air. His mined screamed at him impatient with a body that would not respond. "Ran stay with me…come on…"

Eyes began to flutter open as her head rocked slightly in his arms. Her gaze finally rested on him, and for a moment he could imagine he saw a flicker of joy beneath eyes glazed with pain and fear. "Sh…Shinichi" she breathed, her voice a week mixture of confusion and disbelief. Slowly she lifted a trembling hand, fingertips brushing the side of his face. As he reached his hand to meet hers a small spittle of blood ran down her left cheek as her lips twisted into a week but unmistakable smile. "Shinichi…you, you came back…"

"Course I did…" he managed forcing a smile. "Told you I would." Her own smile faded slightly as her hand went somewhat lax in his. "wh-why did you…did you leave…" she chokes out. He could say nothing, do nothing, but shake his head helplessly. "Why…why could you not…you"

"Ran, don't do this…"

"…promised…"

"Oh god, Ran…please, Ran!"

There was nothing left to be done. With an all too familiar shudder her head tipped back and her eyes became distant and unfocused. For a long moment Shinichi simply sat, cradling Ran in his arms as hot tears ran down his face. And that was that, he had been too slow, too wrong, and now he was too late. Around him the world seemed to disappear, leaving him with only his pain and loss. Clutching her to him he buried his face in her hair and wept openly, his body shaking uncontrollably. He had fucked up; he had royally and unforgivably fucked up.

Outside he could hear the sound of voices and police sirens but his distraught mind registered nether. It wasn't until he heard the distinct sound of footsteps behind him that he finally allowed reality to come back to him. He turned his head slowly and looked up… to find himself staring down the barrel of a small handgun. "peek-a-boo" sneered a painfully familiar voice as a gloved hand held the weapon unwavering before his face. The man smiled, a cigarette clenched between his teeth, his eyes glistening behind a black hat and long strands of blond hair. "You had a good run kid" the man murmured, cigarette still clenched firmly in his mouth, "but the game ends here" and with a loud bang …

Little Conan Edogawa awoke with a start, sitting straight up in his small cot.

For a long moment the small boy just sat there trying to get some kind of grip on reality once more. His heart was racing and he had broken out into a cold sweat that had soaked both his pajamas and the bed sheets. Hands continued to tremble as he brushed a lock of black hair out of his eyes. That dream, that same damn dream. Swinging his legs over the side of his small makeshift bed he glanced at the digital alarm clock that announced the current time in bright crimson numbers. 3:42 Am.

Biting his lip Conan sat forward and rested his head in his hands. The dream was not a new one, nor was the hunting theme that seemed to accompany it. But never could he remember it being nearly that vivid, that unbearably real. "Ran" he breathed the image of her lifeless body still burned freshly into his mind, her words ringing through his head.

Getting to his feet the small boy glanced about the room, taking a few shaky steps towards the door. He knew the routine all to well; he would not be able to sleep anymore tonight, the best he could do was force his mind onto other things. Generally this included making his way down to the office and turning on some local news channel.

He had made it half way down the staircase when the sound of what could have easily been mistaken for a roaring bus engine reached his ears. Growling under his breath the boy sat on the steps with a humph. So the famous Kogoro Mouri had drunk himself into a stupor once more. That always made fore interesting breakfast conversation. But for the time being, it was just a damn nuisance. For a moment the boy sat there contemplating whether or not he should continue with his escapade or abandon it as a surefire way to get on Mouri's bad side when he finally did come too. It's not that the sound of the television would wake the man; a bulldozer driving though the kitchen wouldn't be able to manage that feat. But for the past six months the older 'detective' had tried everything in his power to find an excuse to rag on poor Conan. He had become the scapegoat for everything, and 'wasting electricity' was decidedly the themed lecture for the month.

With a sigh Conan turned on his heals and made his way back up the stares. He would just have to find something to read; surly he couldn't waist anything that wasn't his by simply picking up a book. Reaching the top of the stares he turned to make his way back to his own room, and paused. He stared almost blankly at the third door of the hall that stood adjacent to his. "Ran" The image of her dream-form bloodied and broken played in the back of his mind, twisting a knot in his stomach. Impulsively, almost without realizing it the boy walked forward, slowly and quietly opening the door to the girls' room. Maybe it was his mature sense of over-protectiveness, or possibly it was his childlike fear of discovering his nightmares to be true, whatever the case he felt obligated to at least check in and watch over his Ran-nee-chan.

Ran lay peacefully on her bed, her form lit only by moonlight streaming in through the open window. The boy froze, . To Conan the figure that lay there seemed to be not of this world. Soft features framed in rich dark hair she looked to be the perfect image of serenity. She really was rather beautiful, even if she refused to admit to it.

He stood for a long moment, caressing her figure with his eyes. despite all of her outwards hostility towards him (at least in his true form), she was kindhearted and was prone to cry at the drop of a hat. He smiled at the thought, slightly ashamed that even the thought of her tears seemed more then perfection in itself.

Taking a deep breath he took another few steps forward right to the edge of the bed and gently, carefully, sat down on the mattress beside her. From this close he could easily watch her chest rise and fall in sleep, lips parted slightly. He felt another wash of guilt flood over him as the image from his darkest fantasy briefly flickered though his mind. He blushed uncontrollably. After all, though his body may be small, his mind was…well, a little older to say the least. This was not the first time he had snuck in order to watch her sleep, nor would it be the last.

Slowly, impulsively he reached forward and placed one small hand on her pail cheek shivering at the rush of desire and pity flooded over him. "Ran" he whispered softly into the night. He felt almost guilty for touching her, particularly as she slept, as if by touching her he would destroy or distort her perfection and purity. After all he was only mortal. Caressing her face once more he looked down and smiled gently. And then from her lips a sound that sent his stomach straight into his feet; he herd her call his name, his true name.

He sat there frozen, quite sure that what he had herd was a mistake, wishful thinking on his part. The creature before him was an angel, an image of perfection. She gave him hope and purpose in a quest that at times seemed overwhelmingly pointless. She had done so much for him, and all he ever did was bring her pain and despair. And still, despite everything, she was waiting; waiting just for him. Carefully he ran his small fingers across her cheek once more pausing only for a moment before working up the courage to touch her soft crimson lips. "Hang in there Ran" he whispered memorizing every feature of her face in his mind. "Hang in there, and I will come back for you. I'll come back, and we can be together once again." And with that he leaned over her and…heart pounding in his chest, and placed his lips lightly to hers, his own face turning bright red.

_Just hang in there Ran, I wont let you down, and I wont let anything happen to you because…because , I love you…more then anything in this world._

The boy stood up, trembling slightly, not entirely sure he had just done what he did. He left the room quietly, closing the door behind him.

At the click of the door bright sapphire eyes flickered opened up in shock. Ran sat bolt upright in her bed, her eyes scanning the darkened room for…for what. Gently she placed her fingers to her lips. What was it; there was something, familiar, as if something or someone was here with her, watching over her. She shuttered, a vague scent seeming to linger in her room, something that was not exactly customary, but not all together unwelcome ether. She blushed slightly, touching her fingers to her lips once more, smiling a little as only one thought came to her mind. "Shinichi…"


	2. Chapter 1: A Look Back at the Inevitable

_"Ran, would you came in her for a moment dear" the small bright eyed girl scampered into the main living room at her mothers request. "Yes mommy?" She said obediently looking up at her mother and the other three adults in the room. Her father was already seated and across from him sat another man that she had never seen before. Beside him stood a young woman with long flowing crimson hair and a remarkably delicate figure. The two newcomers smiled down at the five year old kindly. "Hello, my name is Ran" the girl chimed in cheerfully managed a quick curtsy, ignoring the small stains of mud that had already gotten on her dress from just a short while of playing. _

_Both adults nodded and the woman chuckled slightly, "Oh Eri, she's absolutely precious." Her mother only smiled, blushing slightly before turning back to her daughter. "Ran dear I wan you to meet Yuusaku and Yukiko Kudo. They will be moving in down the street and I've invited them and there son over for tea." _

_Son? Ran thought, only now noticing the small figured hidden behind the redheaded woman. Yukiko, clearly sensing the girls' inquisitive glance turned slightly coxing the small boy out into the open. "Come on now Shinichi don't be rude" she chided as the small boy come into sight. _

_The boy named Shinichi looked back at Ran through locks of thick black hair, his bright blue eyes looking from the floor to the girl and back down again. "Well Shinichi, aren't you going to say hello" his mother prompted, ruffling his heir slightly._

_"Hello" the boy answered quietly, his eyes flickering once more from Ran to the floor. "I'm awfully sorry about this, he's usually so well behaved" His mother said looking somewhat helplessly over at her husband then Eri. "He's been this way ever since we got back from America, Honestly I don't know what has gotten into him."_

_Throughout the entire conversation Ran had managed to inch forward looking at the boy with a very inquisitive stare. "Hello Shinichi, my names Ran." She announce once more. The boy looked up at her a little startled as she smiled at him. Without waiting for another word the girl grabbed him by the hand and started pulling him towards the door. _

_"W-wait, where are we going?" He asked, pulling back out of her grip. "To play" she added as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The boy stared blankly at her for a moment before crinkling his nose and making a face. "I don't want to play with you" he said flatly. "Why not" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips as she had seen her mother do so many times before. "Cause, you're a girl" came the inevitable retort. _

_"That doesn't make any sense" Ran argued back, becoming quite annoyed wit the boy. All eyes were on the two but the girl did not even seem to notice "What's wrong with playing with girls, I bet I have a lot more fun games then you do…I have board games, and cards, and a new bike, and a trampoline, and a new soccer set…" the boys demeanor seemed to immediately change when he heard the word Soccer, "really! With a goal and everything" _

_The girl nodded "Yha, it came in a kit, daddy set it up the other day." The boy called Shinichi looked up at his mother enthusiastically with those large innocent eyes that all children eventually master. "Mamma, can I go play with Ran?" he asked, large pleading eyes looking like saucers under the black strands of hair that fell over his face. His mother simply chuckled and nodded, and the boy was off Ran practically having to run to keep up with him._

_Four sets of eyes watched the children disappear, and four sets of lips smiled knowingly. It was somehow clear to everyone in the room, even after just these few minuets, that this was more then just the meeting of two playmates, there was something almost foretelling in their actions, but what none of them could say._


	3. Chapter 2: A day in the life

Ran hummed softly to herself as she fiddled slightly with the spatchula, cracking two more eggs open onto the skillet. She had been in a remarkably cheerful mood that morning and felt like singing it from the rooftops. As the case was however she decided that simply perfecting breakfast would suffice. Her father was already at the table, hiding his hangover in the morning paper. As for Conan, she had yet to see him that morning, but given how moppy and gloomy the poor boy had been these past few weeks she figured a couple extra minuets of sleep might actually do him some good.

Her smile faded momentarily as she thought of the small boy she had come to consider a brother. Over the past few weeks she had watched Conan become increasingly withdrawn, and she felt helpless, a notion that never sat well with her. Even so, she had only approached him once with the topic.

It had been almost a week ago after she had picked the boy up from school. It had rained all that day and the two of them walked home silently under the same umbrella. It had surprised her that every time she stole a glance at the boy he seemed so pensive. The look was not an unusual one for the boy, and she had come to except and even expect the boys slightly more bazaar traits. But this was different; this was almost a sorrowful contemplation. They both stopped at a crosswalk and waited for the light. Offering the boy a smile, she balanced her schoolbag in same hand as the umbrella and reached her free hand down, taking the small boys hand in hers.

"Conan-Kun? What's wrong" she had prompted, squeezing his little hand in hers. The small boy as if ripped out of his thoughts shook his head and looked up at his 'nee-chan' as if he was only noticing her presents that moment. "n-nothing" he stammered, putting on a cherub like smile; Ran however wasn't buying it, at least not this time. "Conan-kun…" Ran chided, giving him that 'mother knows best' look that always made him squirm. Conan looked down at his feet, his smile fading. "I...I just was thinking" he murmured softly, his words almost lost in the roar of the passing traffic.

The light changed and they crossed the street, hand in hand. "About what" Ran continued, determined to get it out of the boy. Conan didn't respond immediately, but rather he continued walking watched his feet "my…my parents" he finally answered, looking up at her with another half smile "I miss them." Ran stopped and looked down at the small boy, not exactly sure how to respond to that. Of course he was missing his parents, and mentally she berated herself for not recognizing it. But somehow that answer didn't sit right with her. He had hardly ever mentioned his parents before, and even then he seemed to always have the same nonchalant approach to them that Shinichi had.

And still, as she stood there looking down at Conan, she felt her suspicions seemingly melt away in the wake of those deep blue eyes. There was something there that was in fact troublesome and sorrowful, almost in a manner that seemed beyond his years. But there was something else, something so painful that heartbreaking that hit her in that moment, moving her close to tears. It was as if that moment she and the boy shared some sort of loss or sorrow that could be shared and felt on a level she couldn't even begin to describe.

Dropping her schoolbag and umbrella she kneeled down and scooped the boy up in her arms, much to Conan's surprise and chagrin. "Ran-nee-chan…" he had exclaimed, trying to worm his way out of her grasp. "Oh Conan-kun, I'm so sorry, this must be so hard for you" she soothed and the boy abruptly stopped struggling. "yha…" he replied in a hollow voice.

They stayed that way for a long moment, she on her knees with her arms wrapped tightly around the boy, cold, wet, and pained. Both sharing and feeding of the others sorrow drawing relief and comfort from it.

Ran sighed scooping the two eggs onto a plate along with a few slices of bread and some sausages. The poor thing had a lot on his mind; and she speculated that he had seen more, and been through more then any other child his age. Pouring two glasses of milk she allowed a smile to overtake her once more, Conan needed someone to take care of him, not just as a friend but as a mother, or in this case, his 'nee-chan' and as long as he lived under the roof she planed to do just that. She could hear the door shut and the small pitter patter of tiny feet and turned to find Conan making his way into the kitchen, taking his customary seat at the table, his face as blank as ever.

"Morning Conan-Kun" Ran said cheerfully as the boy sat down. Conan merely nodded his mind enraptured with other things. He didn't even recognize his surroundings until her herd the clank of the plat being set down before him. He looked up at the lavish breakfast, and then up to Ran, who was simply beaming down at him. "Ah…thank you Ran-nee-chan" he managed under his breath, looking down at the plate. He really didn't feel like eating, but with Ran hovering over him like this, clearly proud of herself, he felt it would be rude not to. Carefully he picked up one of the nicely sliced pieces of bread and began nibbling at it slowly.

Ran, apparently satisfied by his ploy smiled and turned back to the counter to get her own breakfast which consisted of nothing more then a few slices of bread and a glass of milk. Conan sighed, ripping apart another peace of bread and reluctantly shoving it into his mouth. This was going to be a long day.

He looked quietly from Ran to her father and then to the newspaper in the mans hands. He paused for moment, one of the headlines catching his eyes. "The NMWA Greek Exhibit opens on time despite transportation delays." Transportation delays? That hardly sounds like National Museum of Western art. After all they were the ones who had made a point of installing a whole new security system just to bring in an exhibit of Vincent van Gogh. He should know, Ran had dragged him through all 3 floors of the exhibit. They prided themselves on having the best exhibits on time and ready for the public. For them to have a delay it would take ether a large weather disaster, vehicle malfunction, or there was more to the story that wasn't being said. He scanned down the article, picking out a handful of other points that seemed to confirm his initial speculation. He could rule out the whether option, the exhibit was last on display in New York almost three months ago, and since the tern over in the Museum of Modern Art was notorious for speed and packed storage they would have been moved the exhibit as quickly as possible. The would have brought it in at the earliest point…even with typical transportation delays the exhibit would have been in on time…something did not fit…

He was snapped suddenly out of his thoughts by the sound of a loud smack followed almost immediately by a yelp. Conan looked up to see Ran standing menacingly over her father with a wooden spoon in her hand and Mori nursing a wounded hand and ego. "Dad…" Ran hissed, brandishing the spoon as if it were a weapon "that's Conan's breakfast, I'm making yours now." She snapped gesturing to the skillet still simmering on stove. Mori growled under his breath, shaking out his newspaper and muttering something about who bought the food and household hierarchy.

"It's ok, Ran-nee-chan" Conan said with a smile, pushing the plate towards the older man "uncial can have my breakfast, I'm really not all that hungry." Picking himself up he brought his half finished glass over to the sink. "But, Conan-Kun…" Ran protested hovering over him once more like a nerves mother hen. "See Ran, even the boy knows whats what…" Ran turned and scowled at her father and Conan used the opportunity to slip past her and make his way back to his room.

Once there he closed the door his mind drifting back to the article that headlined that morning's paper. There was something he was missing, a peace they did not want known…but what. After a moment he simply shock his head. He was looking too far into all of this. Grabbing his pack and his red shows that the good doctor was nice enough to create for him he dashed down the stares, making towards the door. Half way down the stares Ran stood, school case in hand, a week smile on her face. "Ready to go Conan-kun?" she asked in a voice slightly too sweet to be genuine.

The boy stopped and stared up at her, slightly confused. she had been this way for the past few weeks, sugary sweet and overly protective. On some level he found it to be nothing more then a nuisance, on the other hand…she cared, and despite himself, it felt good to be cared for, even if it was by a woman who considered you nothing more then a little brother. Returning the smile he nodded, shouldering his pack and slipping his shoes on. She was trying so hard to make him feel better, trying everything, the least he could do was return the favor, he owed her that little bit…at the very least.

"Ran- nee-chan?" the boy said suddenly looking back up at her. Her smile wavered, a little taken aback. He rarely ever spook anymore unless spoken to, and even then it was usually limited to a simply yes or no. "Yes Conan-Kun?" the boy paused, standing there for a moment before smiling up at her "thank you for breakfast Ran-nee-chan, it was really good."

Her face simply lit up at the complement and Conan couldn't help but smile at her reaction. Reaching up he grabbed her hand, leading her down the remaining stairs. For that little moment it didn't matter that he was small, it didn't matter that she was heartbroken…all that mattered was his little hand in hers. "Thank you Conan" he said softly, and she meant it.

The two of them walked together down the sidewalk, talking about everything and anything, simply enjoying each others company

A man in an unmarked car watched silently as the target came into sight. Nonchalantly he lifted the phone and pressed redial. Almost immediately there was a click and a low gravely voice came on the line.

"Yes"

"Target acquired sir"

"Excellent and status"

"Target is being accompanied"

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a soft snap of what the man could only assume was the others cigarette lighter. "We can't hold out on this any longer, things need to start moving"

"Understood"

"We will have to go with our second plan, I expect everything is in order for that."

"Of-course"

"You only get one shot at this, don't fuck it up"

"Understood"

With that there was a click and the dial tone kicked in. the man in the car closed his cell phone and glanced up at the target as it disappeared around the corner of the building.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"You…You bastard" Ran spat whirling on the small boy and bearing down on him furiously. Conan backed away in horror and surprise. "Ran-nee-chan…I" he began, trying to calm her down "don't you 'nee-chan' me you…you…" she almost screamed as she turned from him, her hands curled into fists. The next time she spoke her voice was quiet but unmistakably dangerous. "was this funny for you Kudo, did you get a kick out of living under my fathers roof, watching me worry, watching me fret, wondering if you were alright…horrified that any of the hundreds of rumors were true...is it your idea of a joke, you sick perverted bastard…" her hands shook as her body trembled with tears she refused to show. Her words came in short bursts as if forced through clenched teeth. "Ran…it's not like that…let me explain"

"Explain…explain what…" she erupted, whirling around and glaring at him. "I hope you got a real kick out of your sick little joke. And here I was terrified that you had…you would…and all this time you were here, laughing your ass off just like you always do…cause its all just one big gag isn't it" tears now ran freely down her cheeks and the sight seemed to burn into him, ripping him apart. Reaching out he tried to grab her, only to feel the sharp sting of her wrist as she backhanded him, sending him to the floor. "Don't… touch me…" her voice was low and dangerous. Not once could he remember her voice like that, so unbearably stern and cold. But the moment was fleeting, replaced quickly with an uncontrollable sob. "For all I care you can rot in hell."

Crying openly now, Ran spun around to hide her face as she made her way quietly towards the door. "Ran…" he managed, stumbling to his feet "Ran...please, you can't go out there…I told you…"

She didn't pause, didn't stop; simply slammed the door hard behind her. Conan dashed towards the door and flung it open, looking out desperately into the night. "Ran!" he called, into the pitch black staggering out into the long line of light that was cast from his own front door. This wasn't supposed to happen…not like this. Footsteps echoed through the night and the boy stared franticly, unable to determine the source of the sound. There was a scream, the sound of a confrontation, a struggle, and a loud unmistakable bang. "Ran!!"

A second loud bang sent Conan shooting up at his desk, followed by a round of suppressed giggles from his fellow classmates. "Mr. Edogawa" the teacher snapped, whacking his desk with her ruler once more as if for emphases. "Would you care to join us long enough to answer the question" all eyes now on him. "I…ah, ha?" the boy muttered, looking about at those around him as if for a clue. To his left he could see Genta and Mitsuhiko, two of his fellow 'detective boy' members trying desperately to suppress another bout of giggles as he tried to make sense of the situation.

To his right he caught a quick glimpse of the third member of his little crime fighting squad, Ayumi, her worried eyes trying to search him for answers. This was not the first time he had drifted off in class, and she had made a point to ask him about it numerous times, each of which he had shrugged off and simply said that he was tired, pure and simple.

"The question Mr. Edogawa…I'm waiting for the answer" another bout of giggles from those around him as Conan finally caught sight of the question on the board. "Forty-two, the answer is Forty-two" he said, doing the simple math assignment effortlessly. The teacher raised an eyebrow, her frown darkening "correct Mr. Edogawa" she said, seemingly disappointed that she could not use the boy as an example of ill behavior.

The Teacher moved on and Conan had a moment to catch his breath and collect his thoughts. He was surprised to find that he was shaking slightly and his breath was slightly rushed and uneven. As a rule he was not that jumpy and skittish of a person, at least he always liked to think so. So why were these dreams having such an effect on him in the first place; hell why was he even having them, it simply made no sense.

After a moment he felt a light touch on his hands as they gripped his desk. Looking up in surprised he found a small hand lying lightly atop his. Ayumi had taken advantage of the teachers' preoccupation with the chalkboard to scoot over in her chair and place a bold but reassuring hand on Conan's. "Are you alright" she whispered, her face beginning to blush as he looked back at her in surprise. "y-yha" Conan managed, risking a quick look up at the teacher before forcing a smile and giving the girls hand a quick squeeze. "I'm fine, don't worry about me…" the little girls face turned bright red with the attention and she bit back a giggle before she pulled her hand away.

…o0O0o…

Finally the bell rang and over a dozen screaming children burst out of the elementary school classroom, ecstatic for the upcoming weekend and the promise of freedom it provided. Conan lagged behind the rest, remaining at his desk a moment longer to shove his remaining books into his pack and using the small moment of peace to try and clear his mind. "If I'm not mistaken Kudo…" came a small but cold voice from behind him. "You're quite literally falling apart."

Conan turned to face the speaker, sarcasm dripping from each word of his reply. "Well Ai, I hate to say it, but elementary school is somehow less enjoyable when you're doing it again for the second time after more almost a ten year interim." The small blond girl with the ice blue stare simply smiled and shook her head. "How do you think I feel, I have my doctorate" repositioning her own backpack she tip her head sideways as if examining to small detective. "But that's not all there is to it, is it"

Conan grimaced but managed to shake his own head. "It's nothing Ai, I'm just tired; that's all." Ai raised an eyebrow in that inquisitive manor of hers that seemed to suggest that she was not buying any of what he was offering. "What?" Conan retorted to her unspoken inquiry. He hoisted his own backpack onto one shoulder before looking at her once more. "Don't look at me that way, I'm tired, I have had a lot on my mind" he pushed passed her, making his way towards the door. All things being equal it wasn't actually a lie, but he also knew it wasn't the answer she was looking for. Ai shrugged and followed silently behind him, and he could sense that she wasn't quite ready to let the topic go, though she was making quite an effort to do just that. "Just don't do anything stupid, got it" she murmured under her breath as they made it to the door. "We are very close to stabilizing a cure for this thing, the doctor and I, and I need you around for testing."

Conan managed a small smile at that. He knew it was her wired way of showing affection and concern. Despite her cold hearted manor and mature presence, she could be quite a kindhearted woman when she cared to be. "yha" he muttered as they approached the waiting figures of Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi. "We wouldn't want that, now would we."

The five of them set off down the busy street, Genta and Mitsuhiko talking excitedly to Ai about there plans for the upcoming weekend, and Ayumi trailing behind with Conan, risking a nervous glance now and then at the other boy in her worried way. "And then, if the whether holds out my mom says shell take me to the park after the movie."

"Riveting" remarked Ai glancing over to Mitsuhiko with the same icy nonchalant glare that seemed to define her entire existence. Conan remained silent for most of the walk, allowing the two to chatter away with Ai's random one word comments scattered throughout the conversation. For his part he was looking forward to meeting up with Ran, getting the rest of the way home and finding a quiet corner where he could clear his mind from the chaos of the day. So enthralled in his thoughts was he that he completely ignored the goings on around him till a cry from Genta snapped him out of his reflective state.

"Look, look, a fire truck, it has its lights on and everything" he pointed as the said truck raced around the corner, the siren screaming all the while. "I wonder where it's going?" Added Ayumi, standing on her tip toes in order to get a better view. "Probably just a small house fire or a cat in a tree" Conan replied unimpressed, continuing on without stopping. "But what if it's something worse" Mitsuhiko countered "it could be a case of air-a-sonic."

"Arson" Conan corrected him not pausing for a moment. "Yha, that. If it is, the detective boys have a responsibility to be there to solve the case." Conan simply shook his head. "Come on…do you really think there would be a single fire truck if…HAY" his words were cut short as both Genta and Mitsuhiko grabbed him by the arms and dashed off, Ayumi following close behind "Never fear, the Detective boys are here" she proclaimed, echoed by a hurrah from the fellow members of the group.

Ai was left alone, watching the four disappear into the crowed and trying desperately to stifle a remarkably uncharacteristic bout of giggle.

…o0O0o…

Ran sighed as she slowly tromped up a brief flight of steps to her fathers' office and the chores and duties that awaited her there. She had waited for Conan for almost an hour and the boy had never shown up. As it stood she could only assume he was out and about with his little detective friends, and as irritating and unlike it of him as it was to stand her up at least he was out and not brooding quietly in his room. Still she couldn't help feeling slightly hurt that he had not even given her the courtesy of a phone call. She sighed once again as she took out her keys, her mind abuzz with chores and the like. Sonoko was right, maybe she needed a bit of a break…perhaps a warm bath, a delivery diner, and a movie…after all it was a Friday and her father would most likely not be home till late.

She paused, surprised to find that the door was already unlocked…that was odd, it seemed far to quiet for anyone to be home. "Hello…?" she called, walking in and casually letting her school pack fall to the floor beside her. Ran could not help but grimace at the mess in the room that seemed to radiate from her fathers' desk. It seemed like no matter what she did the place never stayed clean. Alright then, first the cleaning, then some time to herself...

Taking off her school jacket she tossed it over the back of the couch and was in the process of removing her shoes when something caught her eye. Her father's file cabinet that lived behind his desk had been moved and left wide open, papers flung and crumpled about the floor. That was very odd. Those filing cabinets were one of the few things her father did keep tidy, containing personal and privet case files dating back from his earliest works. More then once he had snapped at her for even attempting to clean directly around it.

Frowning, Ran approached the mess, not sure if it was best left alone or at least compiled together and not scattered across the floor. Opting for the latter she set to work, carefully picking up the papers and staking them neatly together. Had her father been in a hurry and simply left it that way? no, that was unlikely, she had hardly ever even seen it opened. Maybe he was sorting through it and was called away. It was far more likely, but still uncharacteristic of him.

So preoccupied was she with her own thoughts that she never herd the soft sound of footsteps, or register the slight sweet stench as the bottle of Trichloroethylene was emptied onto a small cloth. Ran never imagined that she was not alone in the small detective office…until it was too late.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

_"I wana do it daddy, let me do it." Ran huffed looking up at her father indignantly as he reached for the doorbell. The man paused mid gesture and looked down at her a bit irritated with what had become an obsessive habit with his daughter. "Please daddy?" she whimpered, presenting her father with the large doe eyes she had mastered, as all children do, presenting it to there parents when they least expected it. Kogorou Mouri managed to let a silent groan of defeat before scooping up the little bundle of energy his wife paraded around in a sundress and sandals. "Alright Ran, you can press the doorbell," He announced much to the child's delight. "But only once..."_

_The little girl beamed with pride as her father held her up in reach of the doorbell. Pressing it with one small pudgy finger she was immediately rewarded with the distant buzz of the bell within the house, followed by a confirmation of "be right there" from the speaker set next to the button. So elated was she with her job well done she couldn't help but reach out and press the tempting little button one more time._

_"That's enough Ran" her father warned, pulling her back a bit out of reach of the bell. Ran, unperturbed by his warning simply reached out a little farther to press the button again, and again, and again. "Ran…" came the second unheard warning. Finally with an exasperated role of his eyes Mouri tucked the little nuisance in the crook of his arm and began to tickle her in that ruthless way fathers had of playfully punishing disobedient children with masterful doe eyes._

_"Daddy!" the girl shrieked through bouts of giggles, kicking and wriggling all the while. "Daddy, stop it…put me down"_

_Mouri grinned in triumph. "Are you going to push the button again?" He asked in a playfully chiding tone. The little girl squealed as he tipped her back a bit in his arms, the tickle assault not letting up for a moment. "No, no, I promise…I won't, I won't" she managed through her laughter, her little sandaled feet kicking madly in the air. With that Mouri put his daughter back on the ground, but not without placing a quick kiss on her nose and a raspberry on her cheek. Ran looked up at her father, her dress slightly twisted, her hair a bit of a mess, and a smile that stretched from ear to ear. He couldn't help but smile back._

_"Now, I need you to be on your best behavior alright."_

_"Ok, Daddy" Ran said with an obedient nod, grabbing at the edge of her sundress and tugging on it, to try and straighten it back out. Again he smiled, reaching down to make a half hearted attempt to straighten her hair. "That's my girl"_

_A moment later Yukiko Kudo was at the gate and ushering the two into the house with a smile and a greeting that consisted of a hundred words a minuet. Once inside Ran began to remove her sandals, lining them up neatly next to her fathers. "Isn't she just a doll" Yukiko cooed, kneeling down to the girls level. "I wish I could get Shinichi to pick up after himself like that." Ran giggled and performed a little curtsy by way of a thank you. Shinichi's mother stifled another bout of laughter. "Shinichi is back in the study, you know where all the books are, right sweetie?" Ran thanked her quickly and bolted down the hall in search of her playmate, leaving the two adults to speak in peace._

_It always amazed her how many books a single room could have, and the study most certainly had an overwhelming number of book. Sometimes she was tempted to ask Shinichi's father if he had once owned a library, or maybe a bookstore. Looking about at the shelves upon shelves of books and papers the little girl almost didn't see her friend sitting cross-legged in one of the leather arm chairs, a large book in his lap, and a few more at his side. "Hi Shinichi" she called, dashing over to him and attempting to stand on tip toes next to the chair in order to get a good look at what he was reading. "whatcha doin?"_

_Shinichi raised his eyes momentarily as she scampered over, but quickly returned his attention to the book. "I'm reading" he answered flatly. Ran pouted, feeling a bit put off by his tone she tried all the harder to get a good look at his book. "whatcha reading?"_

_Once again Shinichi looked up giving her a slightly irritated glare. "A book…" he paused as he noticed her somewhat equally irritable pout. "It's a book about a detective who lived in England almost one hundred years ago named Sherlock Holmes."_

_Ran suppressed a small bout of giggles. "What a weird name, it sounds so silly." Shinichi glared at the small girl for a long moment as if somehow her comment was directed at him and not the fictional character of which he spoke. "He's not wired, Sherlock Holmes is amazing. He's really smart and never gets anything wrong. He could even tell you where you have been based on the dirt on your shoes."_

_"That's imposable" Ran protested with a huff. "No one can do that"_

_"Sherlock Holmes could"_

_"I bet he couldn't."_

_"Could so."_

_"Could not!"_

_"Could so!"_

_As if for emphasis on his last remark the boy stuck his thong out in order to add insult to injury. Ran folded her arms over her chest. He was such a stubborn jerk and it took all of her self control not to wipe that smirk off his face with her fist. Of coarse she did promise her father she would be good. "It's only a book Shinichi" she pointed out, deciding a more logical approach might get her point across. "It's not like any one could really do that."_

_"Why not?" He replied indignantly scooting down off the chair and placing the book on the seat he had just vacated. "One day I want to be just like Sherlock Holmes and solve all kinds of mysteries." There was an excitement behind his ice blue eyes as he spoke, and a lopsided smile found its way to his face as he continued. "I want be a detective like Sherlock Holmes, smart and strong like him, and be able to play the violin, and I will always catch the bad guy no mater what, just like Sherlock Holmes."_

_"No one can be right all the time." Ran retorted folding her arms, "my mommy says so." Shinichi shrugged, scampering over to the shelves to look for another book to add to his stack. "Sherlock Holmes could, and so will I." He turned back to look at her, a cocky smile on his face once more. "Just wait and see"_


	6. Chapter 5

A note from the author

Well I've changed my name, but I hope that doesn't through anyone off. For all those who have written or commented to me thus far, I would like to thank you ever so much for your encouragement, your impute, and your understanding. I would like to apologies for taking so long with the updates. The truth of the matter is that the story is pretty complicated, and I am trying to avoid plot holes and the like.

Any-who…lets get on with the show

Yours gratefully,

Gigi

PS. Unfortunately, my disability still impairs me from correcting and editing my own work. If there is a kind soul out there who has a love of editing, please give me hand, I think I would use it.

…o0:Chapter V:0o…

Conan grumbled to himself as he marched on through the streets, his hand shoved deep in his pockets. "Stupid fire trucks…" he continued, turning the corner and promptly kicked a crumpled soda can out of his way with a bit more face then he had intended. "I told them it would be a stupid cat." Really those three would jump at anything that even remotely resembled a case. Not to say there over-enthusiasm hadn't paid off in the past, but he was exhausted and damn it, it was just one fire truck. Now if there had been police cars in toe, then they might have had a case.

Catching up with the soda can he had kicked only moments before he allowed himself the luxury of venting his frustration by giving the inanimate aluminum cylinder another good kick. The only reason the fire department had been called at all was because the dumb animal had managed to get stuck on a branch in paws reach of a major electric line for the entire street. His mistake upon seeing the scene was pointing it out. The moment he did Mitsuhiko began speculating as to what exactly might happen to a kitten if it were to try and reach the power line. This intern sent Ayumi into a hysterical fit of tears that had taken half the afternoon to subside. Geez…these kids could be a real pain. He had never been that unreasonable at that age, or at least he hoped not.

He decided the question was best left unanswered.

The worst part of coarse was that he was now almost three hours late to meet with Ran, and though he was sure she would have had the sense to go home without him, the fact that she wasn't answering her phone seemed to imply that he was going to be in for quite the lecture when he got home concerning the importance of keeping ones appointments.

Half a block later he was standing in front of the detective agency that he had come to call home well he remain trapped in his small form. Conan paused and looked up at the large letters imprinted on the window, another weary sigh escaping his lips. Well it was still early enough, with any luck he would have a chance to catch a quick nap before diner which would still leave him time to run over to Agasa's in order to finally pick up whatever new gadget it was that he had been pestering him to try for the past week. Honestly, the professor could be just as bad as the kids at times.

Wearily he forced himself to walk the flight of stares up to the agency and apartment he shared with the Mouri family. Half way up the flight of stares the boy paused, his brow furrowing slightly. A long dark mark ran across one step ending in a strange indent in the side of the wall. Stooping down Conan examined the mark, tracing it with one finger. It was a scuff mark of some kind, made by a boot or thick soled shoe, most likely a man's, size 10 to 12 shoe, 160-200 pounds. That hadn't been there this morning, had it? And even so, the angle…well to make that kind of a mark one would have too…

The boy shook his head and rolled his eyes at his own criminal obsession. Either he was severely in need of a good case or those kids were rubbing off on him. Making his way up the final few steps he opened the door and let himself in

"Ran-nee-chan, Uncle…I'm home" the boy called out a bit hesitantly, not wanting to interrupt incase a potential client had been meeting with the 'great detective' Mouri. He was answered by silence.

With a frown the boy cheeked his watch as he closed the door behind him. He had expected the two of them to be home by now. Then again it was a Friday and that generally meant Mouri was out with his mahjong friends and Ran…

The boy looked about and spotted the girls high school pack sitting up against the wall and her shoes beside them. "Ran-nee-chan?" Tossing his own pack next to hers he looked about a bit confused. "Ran-nee…ah?"

A soft flimsy crunch brought his attention back down to the ground. Papers…hundreds of them covered the floor of the agency. The boy looked about for the source only to find the silver filing cabinet across the room, a large dent in one side and its contents apparently emptied out over the floor.

Conan furrowed his brow once more, approaching the filing case slowly. It was not the thought of a break in that immediately grabbed his attention, nor was it the manor and style of the event. Rather it was the cabinet or, more specifically, the dent in the silver metal that caught his eye. It was clear even from a distance that the lock on the file had been picked, the work had ether been done by an amateur, or someone wishing to be discovered. But that dent…it had bent in one end of the open file, but its corresponding angle on the door was undamaged, meaning that the dent had been inflicted after the safe had been opened. In addition for one to make a dent such as that not only would there be an extreme amount of force used but an extremely loud noise to follow. No potential thief trained or otherwise would ever think of making such a cacophony…

Before he knew what was happening Conan felt himself being lifted violently up by the back of his shirt. Surprised to say the least, he let out a yelp of protest, kicking wildly as he struggled with his unseen assailant.

"What the hell did you do!" came the booming voice of an infuriated detective Mouri as he pulled the boy up off the ground. "Put me down…I didn't do anything, Put me down…"

He felt himself unceremoniously dropped onto the couch. Folding his arms defiantly he pouted slightly as he watched Mouri begin scooping up handfuls of papers and arranging them into uneven piles on the desk, cursing all the while. No mater what happened it was always his fault, honestly he could be locking in a cage all day and still that man would find a way to…

The boy froze abruptly, a cold chill running down his spine. There on the desk, neatly piled in one corner could be seen a small stack of papers all of them seeming to correspond in color and size to those still about the room. Someone had started to pick up the mess, and they had stopped…no, they had been interrupted.

Suddenly all the strange little bits of information; the phone, the scuff on the stairs, the school bag and shoes, the dent in the filing cabinet, all came into sharp relief. Each observation taken in part was nothing more then an intangible fact, but together a very vivid image of events could be painted with really only one possible outcome that made all the facts valid.

Ripping the cell phone out of his pocket he pressed the redial and held the device to his ear. "Pick up, pick up, pick up…" he hissed as the dial tone continued to ring. At the first sign of the answering machine he flipped the phone closed. "Damn it" he spat leaping from the couch and dashing to the desk now practically buried under the mounds of paper. Using the chair behind the desk as leverage he hopped up and began digging madly through the papers in order to find the agency phone that lived there.

Mouri, who had been on hands and knees collecting a handful of documents that had found there way beneath desk nearly hit his head as he tried to stand up, evidently confused by the sound of footsteps atop the desk. "What the hell…" he blurted out, pulling himself up from off the floor and rubbing his head. "Damn it Conan…"

"I can't find Ran" the boy blurted out as he continued to excavate the phone from beneath piles of paperwork. "She probably just stepped out" Mouri retorted, clearly un-amused by the child's antics. Conan shook his head.

"Ran came home at some time after the files had been raided and tried to clean the mess" the boy tipped his head to one side, indicating the neatly stacked pile still visible on one side of the desk. "Ran never leaves something half finished, it's a pet peeve of hers, she wouldn't simply walk out on a mess like this; she couldn't." As he spoke he continued to dig franticly. Mouri simply stood staring at the boy for a minuet, this onslaught of information and its implications apparently a bit much for him to take in all at once. Finally finding the cord Conan pulled it up and began pounding numbers into it franticly. "Pick up the phone Ran, please pick up the…"

The ring was abruptly cut off and Conan could hear the soft breath of someone on the other end. "Ran!" he blurted out, a flicker of hope washing over him. There was a long pause followed by a soft chuckle. "Ran…Ran…no I'm afraid there's no one here by that name." The voice was dark, gravely and bore the unmistakable characteristics attributed to a voice changing device. Conan felt his blood run cold as his eyes went wide. Even digitally altered, the voice was unmistakable. The voice was burned into his memory, possessed his thoughts, and haunted his dreams.

Horror quickly turned to rage as he gripped at the phone with both hands. "Where is she…"

Again there came a long drawn out pause followed by a soft tinny laugh. "All in good time…first I need a word with the great detective Mouri."

"You bastard where is Ran!" Conan practically screamed into the receiver, but he could feel the phone being wrenched out of his grasp before he had time to finish off his demand with a list of inevitable pain he had planed for the man toying with him at the other end of the line.

Oh yes, it was a man, that he was sure off. A man who hid his face behind a back brimmed hat and long hair.

Reluctantly he relinquished the phone to Mouri, his own gave now fixed on a non existent point, his hands fisted and jaw clenched.

"Who is this" Mouri demanded in a cold flat voice. There was a long pause and Conan could tell by the reaction on the man's face that whatever it was that was being said it was not to his liking.

"You coward" he spat, his voice was low and venomous "I swear to god if you lay one hand on my daughter…" There was an echoing laugh stifled by an abrupt click. The sound of a low constant tone signaled quite clearly that the conversation was over. For some time that hollow ringing sound seemed to engulf the entire room as both men stood frozen in place. It was too surreal, too improbable to be happening. Conan continued to stare fixedly at the same distant point, a numbing chill slowly washing over him, replacing his blind rage. How…how did they find out? How did they find out that he had survived…that he was…

"Damn it!" Moari's voice ripped through the silence, followed shortly by the crack as the phone was thrown against the far wall. Wrenching himself from his own shock the older man dashed to grab his coat, throwing it on as he made for the door. "I need to get the file…" he blurted out turning to Conan as he spoke. "They will call back by seven, you stay in this house until I get back incase they call again, do I make myself clear."

Conan made no reply.

"Conan!" Moari barked and the boy raised his head and nodded. With that Moari dashed from the room slamming the door behind him with enough force to shake the windows in there frames. Conan was left utterly and completely alone to sink farther into the nightmares that seemed to have begun to crystallize about him. And all the while he could hear that same hollow laugh echo through his mind, threatening to rip his head in two.

What had he done…


	7. Chapter 6: Good morning, Angel

A note from the author:

Beware the melodrama

You have been warned…

Gigi

…o0:Chapter VI:0o…

"Good morning angel"

The first thing she became aware of was a swimming, sickening pain in her head and stomach. Moaning, Ran rolled over to her side, holding her stomach and shivering slightly. She really needed to remind her father to stop leaving the window in the office open, the whether was getting to cold and as much as he clamed it saved on air-conditioning it was really more a nuisance then it was worth. Teeth chattering slightly she gingerly tried to pick herself up, only to be rewarded with a burning pain that shot through her head and neck. Taking in a sharp hiss of breath she allowed herself to slump back down on to her side.

Why? Why did she hurt this much?

Why didn't she know?

For a long moment she simply lay there as her mind tried to pull together any reminisce of memory as to why she should be in so much pain. Something was wrong, something did not feel right. Slowly she opened her eyes.

A wall, she was looking at a wall…a gray wall. Where was she?

Whimpering quietly to herself Ran forced her heavy limbs to move, reaching her hands up to rub the haze from her eyes. To her surprise and bewilderment she found her hands…both hands…were restrained. Handcuffed, someone had handcuffed her wrist together.

Surprise gave way to horror as she stared wide eyed at her wrists. In a flash the entire course of events proceeding her unfortunate black out came into sharp focus. The filing cabinet, the papers, the cold grip about her neck, her face buried in a white handkerchief, her attempt to scream, to cry out, to fight back, the pain that drove through her leg as her foot connected with something, the blanketing cold, and finally…

Setting her discomfort aside Ran sat bolt upright, spinning around where she sat.

She was alone…she was alone in a room she had never seen before.

The space was small, its lone source of light a single bulb the swung low on a cord overhead. With the exception of the small cot on which she now sat the room was completely unfurnished with a single large steel door visible to her right. There were no widows, no vents, only a single drain in the center of the floor gave it any specific characteristic.

For a long moment she simply sat there dazed, unable to comprehend the implications of her situation. It felt as if the walls themselves were moving, swaying, pushing in on her. Ran could almost imagine she felt the room moving in, suffocating her as she sat horrified and alone.

Her fear quickly gave way to a sense of panic as she sat alone and cold in this alien environment. She had to get out, to get somewhere, anywhere that wasn't here. Staggering to her feet she stumbled to the door, pulling at the handle before setting about beating against the metal with both fists. "Help!" she continued to pound on the door, tears beginning to role down her cheeks. "Help, Please. Someone…anyone please…Help me!"

Her knees buckled under her and slowly she slid to the floor. One fist continuing to beat at the door, the thick reverberating thud echoing through the tiny room. "Please…" A wave of hopelessness overtook her, pressing in. "Please…" Pulling her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped about her legs she tried to stifle her sobs. She felt as if she were drowning, lost and confused as she was.

No, no she had to get a hold of herself, she had to remain calm.

Slowly her sobs subsided as she forced herself to relax. She needed to stay calm, to keep her wits about her; absolutely nothing could be accomplished if she went on crying like this. Taking a deep breath Ran turned, leaning now against the door as she looked out over her small dismal prison.

What would Shinichi do?

It struck her as quite odd that now of all time that detective nut would come to mind, but Shinichi always seemed to know what to do, regardless of the situation. He never panicked; he always remained cool, always thought things through.

Ran wiped the tears from her face with the back of one fist as she began to assess the situation. She had to look at this logically. Someone had attacked her well she was home; someone had drugged her and taken her here. Alright, that much was fact.

But why?

She hadn't done anything. Was it to get at her father? That was more likely, but there were far less risky ways of accomplishing that. Bribery, blackmail, even just the threat of abduction would be enough to get his attention. An actual kidnapping was risky, especially in the middle of the day, why would anyone need to resort to such drastic measures?

Why her father in the first place…did someone have a grudge? No then why not just attack her?

The soft rhythmic tapping of boots on a hard surface suddenly intruded on her thoughts. Someone was coming. Leaping to her feet she spun around, backing slowly away from the door. She clenched her teeth as the footsteps grew louder, whatever was going on, she had a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was about to find out.

The footsteps stopped and there was herd a quiet click as the doors lock was released. With her back now almost pressed up against the far wall Ran watched as slowly the door swung open.

Three men stood silhouetted by the light outside her small prison. Run had to squint, so bright was the outside light in comparison with the single bulb that lit her cell. "Good morning Miss Mouri" came the voice of the largest of the three men as he stepped forward into the room. "We are very glad to see you are finally up and about."

Ran didn't reply. She stood defiantly, her stance defensive as though preparing for a tournament. The large man simply laughed as he nodded to the other two at his side. They advanced on Ran, and in the gloom of this new environment she caught a clear glimpse of her captors for the first time. One of the two sported a large scare that ran down the length of his face; short spiked hair sticking out at all angles. The second, ganglier of the two hid his face behind long black hair, and the smirk that covered it was more then enough to make her stomach turn.

She growled dangerously as the men approached, her fear temporarily replaced by a rush of adrenalin filled rage. With a quick side step Ran swung at the two with a powerful sweeping karate kick. Whatever happened she wasn't about to go anywhere or do anything without a fight.

The first man stepped nimbly to one side as the wiry figure leapt back, the heel of her foot inches away from breaking his nose. "Little bitch" the first bit out, weaving in and around, his arms wrapping about her torso and pinning her from behind before she could aim another blow. Ran screamed in protest kicking and writhing as the second man approached her, a handkerchief in hand. "This is only as difficult as you make it out to be." He coed in a raspy voice, cold hands reaching up and around her face in order to tie the cloth in place about her eyes.

Once the blindfold was in place the man released his hold on her, moving to her side to grasp her arm in a vice like grip. "Move" he said simply, his voice cold as ice. Ran snarled, but before she could lash out at him there came a soft click of a gun safety being released as the cold metal of the barrel was pressed into the base of her neck. "You heard him, now walk."

Ran felt a wash of fear run through her, but she fought desperately to keep it from her face as she did indeed begin to walk, the spiky haired man leading her by the arm as the second followed behind making sure she was quite aware at all times of his presence and that of the weapon in his hand.

The walk did not last long and in short order she felt the clammy hands reach about her face. The blindfold was quickly removed as she was shoved unceremoniously into a room, almost loosing her balance in the process. Staggering slightly she steadied herself before shooting a scowl over her shoulder at the three men who once again blocked her only means of escape. The three simply grinned back.

Straightening herself up she turned from the trio and took a quick look about to get her bearings. What she saw took her quite by surprise.

The room in which she now stood was dramatically different from the one she had been pulled from. Indeed part of her wondered if they did in fact belong to the same building. A large office furnished in elegant leather and dark rich red wood, lit by the soft cool light of many lamps and fixtures. Despite the light the overall ambience of the space remained dark, almost foreboding in her mind. The sweet scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke seemed to move interchangeable, consistently bombarding her senses. At the far end of the room a large desk looked out over the rest of the space, a large tapestry adorning the wall directly behind it. The only thing this room seamed to share with the other was the lack of windows.

There was a soft click and Ran turned once more to see the first man, the largest of the three closing the door behind them, the other two still outside. Turning the large man gestured for her to enter in a manner that was almost over polite. She glared at him coldly for a long moment, but at the risk of having another gun pointed in her general direction she complied, moving slowly towards the large desk and chairs before it.

The room seemed almost surreal in some respect. The place seemed as much a lounge as an office so casual and dark was its ambiance. Making her way up three steps she arrived before the desk and found herself confronted with the large overwhelming tapestry that seemed to loom ominously over her.

Ran stared at the tapestry for a long moment. The images that loomed over her was of a western make, and though she considered herself little more then an art enthusiast, she could at least recognize it as dating to the European Medieval era. Above her men and women twisting and writhing in agony at the hands of beast like demons that grind down at the viewer. Dark clawed hands ripped and tore at the few souls that dear reach up beyond the tapestry; that sought salvation from something beyond the picture plain.

"Beautiful, isn't it"

A cold voice cut through her revelry and Ran turned in surprise to see a tall figure standing off to one side, dressed entirely in black. So silent and still had he been that she had not even noticed him as he stood, his face concealed behind long platinum locks and a large black hat. "It is a reproduction of a 13centery German fresco. Not nearly as impressive as the original, but very few things are." Stepping forward he offered the young woman a sly smile, the cigarette never once leaving his mouth. With one gloved hand he gestured for her to be seated.

Once again Ran did not move. "Who are you?" her voice was eerily hollow, even to her own ears. The mans smile only widened as he studied her from across the desk. "No one that is of any of your concern." Came the cool reply. He paused as if considering that for a moment, taking the cigarette form his lips and flicking in smartly into an ashtray on the desk. "Too many I am no one; to those who seek me I am an enigma…" The cigarette slowly found its way back to his lips. "To you, I am simply 'sir', understand." He nodded almost imperceptibly and almost instantly Ran felt the strong grip of the other larger man on her shoulders, leading her over and forcibly pushing her down into one of the leather trimmed chairs.

"You will forgive the crudity of the restraints," the tall man interrupted once more, before Ran had a chance to protest such harsh treatment. "But you see, after the damage you inflicted on our colleague, who was kind enough to fetch you hear for us, well, my partner and I simply didn't want to take any chances."

_Damage_? Ran was quite taken aback to say the least. It took a moment before she realized what exactly they were referring too. In the stairwell, right before she lost conchesness she had managed one last jab to her assailants head. She could vaguely remember twisting her body and throwing one last blow to his face. The blow had offset is balance and almost sent the two of them crashing down the steps in a heap. It somehow made her feel a bit stronger knowing that they saw her as a force to be dealt with.

"Who are you" Ran repeated, her voce finding a bit more strength. The tall figure took a seat at the other side of the desk, shaking his head almost sadly. "Questions, questions…I guess I should expect nothing less from the daughter of the renowned Sleeping Kogouru." Leaning forward he favored Ran with a very dark, very chilling smile. There was something in his hollow grin that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "But I warn you Miss Mouri, the last little detective who tried that game found himself convulsing in the back lot of an amusement park…a rather unpleasant end for such a prestigious teen sensation, wouldn't you say?"

There came a dry chuckle from her side as the larger man sat himself in the chair kitty corner to Ran. "Little punk never knew what his him" he added in an agreeable tone.

A cold unbearable chill raced down Ran's spine, settling deep in her stomach. She could not even begin to understand what, let alone who they were talking about. It was as if some where deep in her she knew, but could not otherwise understand.

She forced her face to stay ridged, though she found she could no longer keep her fists from shaking. "You don't scare me"

Again came the dry chuckle as the man across from her leaned back in his seat. "You are very brave Miss. Mouri, and so remarkably naïve..." And with that he casually flung a handful of newspaper clippings and Polaroid's in her direction. They fanned out in front of her crating a small montage of unsavory images and foreboding headlines. "After all, I'm sure you're quite familiar with our work."

Hesitantly Ran risked a glimpse at the casual collage scattered out before her. Burning buildings, missing person's reports, untimely deaths under bazaar circumstances…

So many awful things and these men…these men did not just take credit for them, they took some kind of sickening pride in them.

Ran gritted her teeth, wanting for nothing more then the use of her hands at that very moment in order to physically remove that smug smile from his face. This was no organization; it was a murdering pack of cowards. However no mater how hard she tried, she could not wrench her eyes away. All she could do was stare blankly at the images before her, at the long list of names and dates accented now and then with a Polaroid or two from what appeared to be there personal collection. She felt as if she was going to be sick, all of these people, all of them killed and relegated to nothing more then a sick scrapbook collection.

And just as quickly as it had come she felt her unbearable fury turn to a cold terror that robbed her momentarily of both breath and voice.

The man in that Polaroid. The young man in tattered blue jeans and a green jacket lay sprawled out features somewhat distorted due to the apparent haste in which the shot was take. Even in the almost complete darkness of the image she could make out the blood that had begun to pool about his face. Quickly sketched at the bottom of the photo could be seen a date, a time, and the English letter 'D'.

It didn't matter that the photo was blurred, it did not matter that the photo was dark…she knew.

. "Sh-Shinichi" she managed, her voice hollow and her face ashen. It was wrong, it had to be wrong, Shinichi was alive, she had spoken to him, seen him since that day. Why would he…how…

The larger of the two men leaned forward in his chair, looking down at the book and the name that had so captivated their guest. "Ah, a friend of yours?" he cooed, having leaned forward in order to catch a gimps of what had so changed there guests demeanor. Sitting back and folding his arms over his chest. "…Always surprised me that one didn't make it into the papers."

The other man however seemed to read something else entirely from her demeanor, his gaze fixed upon the teen as if studying her every movement, her every thought.

"No" he said softly, removing the cigarette from his mouth as he stood, a scowl overtaking his face. Making his way around the desk, he leaned in close to the girl. "No, he's alive isn't he"

Ran said nothing, simply stared down at the book, her pail face a mix of shock and confutation. The man in the chair looked up at his companion, "imposable, the case was confirmed, you were at the house yourself." The other shook his head, his eyes never once leaving Ran. "Do you remember who wrote that particular report?" The larger man thought for a moment before his eyes went wide "Sherry, Sherry did right before she…"

He fell silent, eyes wide as the implications whatever that information meant seemed to set in on him. Thin lips split into a lopsided grin as the cigarette found its way back to the taller mans mouth. "So, the great detective is still at large." He laughed softly as he finally turned his face from Ran, his eyes moving down to the photograph in question, then to his partner. "I have told you for some time that there could be a fox at our heels, and I have had my suspicions…"

Taking one final drag on the cigarette he allowed it to slip from his fingers, extinguishing the remaining embers with the toe of his boot. "I do believe our little undertaking has just taken on an entirely new dynamic."

"Oh god…"Ran felt numb, fingers gripping at her skirt as she tried to force her hands to stop shaking, eyes still fixed on the image. The more she thought about it, the more she reviewed the information in her head, the more the peaces began to fit together. After there trip to tropical-land, Shinichi had simply disappeared. In fact whenever she _had_ seen or heard from him since he insisted that it be kept quiet, that his name never appear in the papers, that he not be credited for any of the cases he worked on. It was so unlike him, so contradictive to everything he was, but so fitting with everything these men had said. He had been in hiding, he had been trying to keep these men from finding out he was alive. He had been trying to protect himself, his family…her. And now...

"Oh god…what have I done"


	8. Chapter 7: birth of a mystery

_Ch VII_

"_Now, I need you to be on your best behavior alright." _

_"Ok, Daddy" Ran said with an obedient nod, grabbing at the edge of her sundress and tugging on it, to try and straighten it back out. Again he smiled, reaching down to make a half hearted attempt to straighten her hair. "That's my girl"_

_A moment later Yukiko Kudo was at the gate and ushering the two into the house with a smile and a greeting that consisted of a hundred words a minuet. Once inside Ran began to remove her sandals, lining them up neatly next to her fathers. "Isn't she just a doll" Yukiko cooed, kneeling down to the girls level. "I wish I could get Shinichi to pick up after himself like that." Ran giggled and performed a little curtsy by way of a thank you. Shinichi's mother stifled another bout of laughter. "Shinichi is back in the study, you know where all the books are, right sweetie?" Ran thanked her quickly and bolted down the hall in search of her playmate, leaving the two adults to speak in peace. _

_Mouri let out a sigh as he watched his daughter disappear around a corner. No matter how many times he told her to walk…but she was out of ear shot before he could give her another reminder. Yukiko merely beamed. "She seems too had inherited a lot of your energy detective" she commented wholeheartedly. He glanced over at the curly haired starlet and offered her a weary smile in return. "Yah, that and her mothers strong will and iron firm convictions…"_

_Yukiko stifled another bout of giggles. "Oh come now Kogorou, you say that as if it were a bad thing." He could not help but chuckle at her playful chiding. _

"_My husband is upstairs in the privet study," she began once more. "I believe he was expecting you today."_

_Mouri raised his eyebrow at that but said nothing. No one had told Kudo about the recent developments in the Inoue case, had they? Pushing the thought aside he thanked Yukiko and began marching almost pensively up the flight of stairs in search of the author in question. "I'll be up in a minuet with some tea." Yukiko called up after him. It was all he could do to keep himself from chuckling. For a woman who had once held the hearts of thousands as a dynamic and dangerous spy, she had certainly managed to tern herself into a little Susie home maker without even batting an eyebrow. She really was something else._

_Reaching the second floor Mouri stepped quietly to his left and, reaching the third door to the right he knocked softly. From within he could hear a muffled growl and the shuffling of papers before a voice hailed him to enter. "Ah, Mouri, good I was beginning to think you weren't going to come around until tomorrow." Kudo announced spinning about on the chair at his desk to get a quick glimpse at his guest. _

_The man looked as he always did when interrupted in his craft. With crumpled shirt and unkempt hair he looked the very picture of the melancholic thinker. Ink stained fingers gestured to a chair in part buried beneath a pile of various notes and maps. "Please, take a seat."_

_Collecting the papers in a lopsided stack Kogorou cleared the seat and handed its contents over to the writer. "You must forgive the mess" the other added with a weary tone and an apologetic smile. "Ever since the Night Baron series hit the shelves six months ago I have been hard pressed by my editor to complete the sequel." Mouri nodded as he sat. He himself was not really one for fictional writing, but from what he had heard at the precinct the book had become an instant sensation. Many of his friends would talk about nothing else, claming it was one of the best and most accurate mystery novels to his the shelves. Hell, even some of the more elite criminal investigators were hard pressed to find fault with the logic of the work, despite its fictional context. _

_"It about Dr. Inoue, isn't it." _

_Kouguru eyed the other, a bit of a bitter look in his face. "So you were already told…" Mouri began, irritated that his superiors would send him to make a personal call on his own time if they had had every intention of simply calling the man in the first place. Kudo however simply shook his head. "There was a mention of last nights National Museum incident in this mornings paper, given the first part of his lecture was held there…" the author trailed off, the rest of the peaces falling into place. 'Clever basterd' Mouri noted to himself, not for the first time. "What do you make of it then?"_

_Kudo sat back in his chair his face becoming remarkably grave. "I'm not sure" he confessed, "if I'm not mistaken, either the good doctor is keeping something from us, or there's more to his research then even he knows." Mouri nodded his agreement, and for a long moment the two sat in silence both men contemplating the most recent and unsettling events as well as their implications on the case. "Has Dr. Inoue said anything further on the matter?" Kudo finally inquired, his cool calculating tone the first the break the silence. Mouri shook his head. "He seemed pretty shaken up by the affair," he confessed "but when we interviewed him about it he simply said that accidents happen and that we should be grateful that no one was killed." _

_The writer furrowed his brow at that, his gaze becoming somewhat distant. "Interesting choice of words…" he mused, lacing his fingers together as he rested both elbows on the arm rests of his chair. "Did he seem ill at ease by any chance?" Mouri shook his head, "no more then any other time I've seen the man." _

_Of coarse both men knew that meant very little._

_A piercing scream suddenly ripped through the relative silence of the house followed shortly after by the sound of smashing glass. Both men were on their feet in an instant. "What the hell…" Kougoru managed. "It Yukiko" Kudo bit out, dashing for the door, Mouri fresh on his heals. _

_The two men bolted down the stairs and made a mad dash for the kitchen where the small television could still be heard chattering away to itself. Yukiko sat on the floor of the kitchen, broken glass and porcelain littering the ground where she had evidently dropped the tray and tea set she had been preparing. She seemed transfixed, gaze fixed on the small television set on the counter, her expression one of absolute horror. "Yukiko, Yukiko what is it!" her husband demanded, ignoring the shards he kneeled down beside her, trying to coax her up to her feet. The woman wouldn't move._

"_Mamma?" _

_Mouri turned to find the Kudos' son and his own daughter standing at the doorway of the kitchen both looking equally scared and confused. One glance at their disheveled hair and wrinkled clothing told him that the two had undoubtedly been roughhousing, despite his warning. "What's wrong…" the boy asked looking with bewilderment at Mouri and then behind him at his parents. _

"_You too, go back and play"_

"_But…"_

"_Ran, don't argue with me, now go"_

_It took a moment, but at last the two complied, backing away from the kitchen and disappearing down the hall. Finally he was able to turn his attention back to the kitchen. By now __Yuusaku had managed to assist his wife to her feet and now stood supporting her as she stared, eyes still fixed on the television news broadcast. _

"_Oh god…"_

_The words that finally made it past her lips were strained and cracked. "Oh god, sensi…!" Yuusaku's attention, which had been fixed to the television, now turned back to her. "What…" _

_Yukiko tried a slow breath, her body still shaking uncontrollably. "Sensi…Sensi Kuroba…he's dead. Sensi is dead!"_


	9. Chapter 8: Peice by Peice

"Are you absolutely sure?"

There came an exasperated sigh from the other end of the line followed shortly with "yes Kudo, I'm sure."

"Haibara I mean it, if…"

"Kudo" the girl snapped irritation evident in her tone. "I have seen nothing I would consider abnormal, not at the professors, and not at your place, the school, the station…nothing."

Conan bit his lip as he sat knees tucked up against his chest in the hallway of the Mouri abode. Hours had past since Mouri had left, and having force himself back to his senses Conan began running though the what information he had with what mental faculties he could muster only to find…nothing. No matter which way he looked at it, no matter how he went over the information in his own mind… nothing about the case seemed to add up.

How…how could they have possibly known…?

How could they have found out?

It couldn't have been from the last time he used the antidote, they would have acted long before now. The same could be said of Hattori's impersonation of him during that case on the haunted ship. Months had passed and still nothing. Then there was the matter of the phone conversation itself. If they knew, if they had truly known…why did they wish to speak with Mouri? True the black organization was known for its subtlety, but still…And the files…the ones Mouri had mentioned as he rushed out. What had that been about? Where they trying to set him up, to force him into the first move? Why? They were already holding the upper hand. What more could they want…

"…Kudo!"

Haibara's stern voice brought the boy back to reality with a sharp snap.

"I'm here" the boy answered in a hollow tone.

"Are you…"

"Yes Kudo" the cold voice bit back in the same irritated tone. Conan sighed into the cell phone and leaned back against the wall closing his eyes as if to clear his mind of the so many inconsistencies that flooded in. "Look I'm sorry, it's just…" he trailed off running the fingers of his free hand through his hair. It was a rear moment indeed when the great directive felt so bewildered and at the moment bewildered was among the more passive adjectives one might use to describe him.

Again there was silence. Below in the office Conan could barely make out the sound of Mouri, Inspector Megure, Takagi and Satou as they exchanged the occasional word. All four had said very little, each sitting or standing about, filling the air of the office with an unmistakable tension. It was clear by the look he had caught on Mouri's face when he had returned that it had not been his idea that they come. It was also clear by the briefcase handcuffed to Takagi's wrist that whatever information it contained could not leave the department headquarters without official police escort of some kind. Conan had, of coarse been shooed away quickly when the inspectors had arrived, Satou mumbling something to him in a confused tone masked with a hollow sweetness that everything was going to be fine, and he should leave it to the police to help Uncle this time. Conan was less then thrilled, but could do little more then comply.

Haibara was the first to break the silence, her voice losing its irritable edge in favor of one more cold and calm.

"Kudo, what's going on"

This was not the first time that evening she had asked, though now was the first time he felt obligated to answer her with anything apart from a quick and bland 'nothing'. Conan took a long slow breath, surprised by how hard it seemed to make the words come. "It's Ran" he said softly. "She's gone…the organization has her."

Again there was a long pause but this time the boy could almost feel her uneasiness and dread as his words continued to sink in. "That's…not possible" she began, her voice it bit strained.

"I know what I heard!" Conan snapped back "Gin was the one to answer her cell phone; Gin was the one who made the demands."

"But…"

"It was him Haibara!"

"…how"

"I don't know!" Conan bit his lip once more, trying to keep his evident frustration in check.

"I don't know…but…but I'm beginning to think it might not be connected with us." He went on to explain everything he had seen and heard to her, from the making of his initial deduction to the phone conversation and the strange words Mouri had spat at him as he ran from the room.

"That can't be all…" Haibara mused in a voice almost completely divorced from her previous surprise…almost.

"If they desired the information they would have simply made the threat of abduction. A letter of demands followed by pictures of the target taken by surveillance… something to show they know what there doing. For the organization to execute an actual abduction, it puts too many of there members at risk. There going to want something more from Mouri then a handful of documents."

Conan nodded as he thought this over. "We just need to find out what…" he mused quietly.

"That I can not tell you…"

There was silence once more as both contemplated the facts, the implications, and what horrors the night still had to bring. "It's almost seven" Conan cut in finally, checking his watch, "they will be calling any minuet"

"Keep me posted"

"Fine"

"And Kudo…" Haibara paused for a moment and he could almost sense the hesitancy in her manner. "Kudo, the organization does not take hostages. A hostage sees too much, they become a liability." She paused "A hostage can become a witness, a corpse can not. Be careful"

Conan did not answer. There was nothing he could say. The soft click from his phone marked the end of the conversation as the girl on the other end closed her own cell phone with a flick of her wrist. He sat there for a long minuet, her words running through his mind. A liability…he knew all too well how the organization handled liabilities. Putting his phone down he pushed himself up to his feet, moving almost somberly to the master bedroom to check on a thing or two before he went down to join the party in Mouri's office. His time alone had given him more then a chance to simply deduce, but as always to plan. Climbing up on Mouri's bed Conan checked out the side window to see out into the ally behind the building. The ladder was still in place as was his skateboard far below. As soon as this phone conference was at an end he was off to the professors. He would have much better luck piecing together the mystery without this childish façade hanging over him. Reassured that everything was in its proper place Conan dashed out of the room and down the stares to the office. He may not be allowed in, but then again little rules such as that had never stopped him before.


End file.
